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Birding In Staffordshire (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Upland Birder
- Start date
ScottPetrek
Well-known member
Went across that road today past Freda's Grave while trying to avoid the 'A' roads and the tail backs. The road is open but in places still has a few inches of slush and snow on it so be careful!
Steve Turner
Well-known member
Hi Steve
Is this the same bird as the recent 'Siberian' ?!
Difficult to be sure from the photos, but this bird looks browner toned, with even browner looking legs than the 'Sibe' individual...
Cheers
Steve
Had a quick walk out this afternoon came across two great spotted woodpeckers chasing each other from branch to branch there heads bobbing up and down this went on for about 20 mins,meadow pipits and pied wagtails around TA centre Anchor road,
Black headed gulls on pool behind Don Burs, reed bunting in scrub around the pool.
Having walk along the river Churnet on friday near JCB will i be able to walk around the lakes there.
ps sorry about the twite post. stu
Black headed gulls on pool behind Don Burs, reed bunting in scrub around the pool.
Having walk along the river Churnet on friday near JCB will i be able to walk around the lakes there.
ps sorry about the twite post. stu
thanks mick, yours are great too,no sign of any here yet.
jim,the male is still here today, both appeared about 2nd jan. but no sign of the female for the past 10 days. hope you are well.
steve, i think the chiffchaff is the same bird, i have called at the works every weekend [and sometimes in the week ] on the way home from tittesworth since its report and not seen any other, its feeding in the same spot every time and roosting in the same spot [under the center colume of the first bed,theres a deep hole there] its tone and leg colour can look different, as i am sure you know depending on the light conditions, how about calling again and having another look this weekend i could meet you there?
theres a lad from leek who has some great photos, [his brother works for seven trent and has a key to the place so they both went inside and got the shots] but i cannot get him to post any photos, but think he may let me have some prints if nick p. wants any for the rarities committee.
s.g.
jim,the male is still here today, both appeared about 2nd jan. but no sign of the female for the past 10 days. hope you are well.
steve, i think the chiffchaff is the same bird, i have called at the works every weekend [and sometimes in the week ] on the way home from tittesworth since its report and not seen any other, its feeding in the same spot every time and roosting in the same spot [under the center colume of the first bed,theres a deep hole there] its tone and leg colour can look different, as i am sure you know depending on the light conditions, how about calling again and having another look this weekend i could meet you there?
theres a lad from leek who has some great photos, [his brother works for seven trent and has a key to the place so they both went inside and got the shots] but i cannot get him to post any photos, but think he may let me have some prints if nick p. wants any for the rarities committee.
s.g.
Rob Jones
Well-known member
Leaving it late Keith, my house Sparrows were building two weeks ago! :eek!:
Had a run over to the Parkgate area on the Dee estuary. Weatherman got it wrong. Overcast and raining as opposed to sunshine and showers! The tide didn't come in anywhere near enough to get great views, however Hen Harriers, SE Owls, a Merlin, a female Peregrine, Kestrels were all seen feeding.
Large flock of Pink footed Geese in the distance.
Too many people and tripods at Parkgate really. Heswall marsh was better and quieter earlier in the day. The first bird I saw there was a Hen Harrier which put on a great show until I pointed a camera at it. :-O
Attachments
ScottPetrek
Well-known member
Doxey Marshes news
Out and about today doing some management work and was fortunate enough to see the Bittern in flight. It landed in the reedbed along the north shore of Creswell Flash.
There were also 36 White-fronted Geese on Creswell Flash but later flew off elsewhere on site.
Out and about today doing some management work and was fortunate enough to see the Bittern in flight. It landed in the reedbed along the north shore of Creswell Flash.
There were also 36 White-fronted Geese on Creswell Flash but later flew off elsewhere on site.
Neil-T
Moorlands Macro: Close up and personal....with bug
Where were the GSWs please, you should be ok to walk around the main lakes at JCB. Just dont trespass on JCB private land or you may be escorted from it forthwith:-O.
Just having a joke from a previous post about a couple of our regulars being escorted off JCB land. Aparently it was a public right of way, but they still got the boot.:-O
Johnnie Lee
Well-known member
Garden
Been working from home today and hit the magic 50 for the garden list with a cracking brambling - a year tick to boot. Also had goldcrest, treecreeper, siskin & bullfinch - 25 species in total for the day.
Been having a good look at the Redpoll photos. Size is often a good indicator as lessers in my experience are pretty small as finches go. Mealies tend to be bigger and structurally heavier with a bull-necked appearance exagerrated by the greyish nape. The variety of plumages due to age, sex & moult make it a bit of a minefield at times unless you get a classic bird. I wouldn't discount mealy yet. For my money, the paler, larger bird (pic2) is a good runner for mealy.
I posted a few days ago about a potential mealy which visited my feeders - unfortunately it's not been back. It had a bit of both species about it; structure & size mealy; plumage as lesser although it was quite greyish around the nape!
When you really start looking at individual birds closely, you start to realise how much individual variation there is.
That's my two penneth!!
J
Been working from home today and hit the magic 50 for the garden list with a cracking brambling - a year tick to boot. Also had goldcrest, treecreeper, siskin & bullfinch - 25 species in total for the day.
Been having a good look at the Redpoll photos. Size is often a good indicator as lessers in my experience are pretty small as finches go. Mealies tend to be bigger and structurally heavier with a bull-necked appearance exagerrated by the greyish nape. The variety of plumages due to age, sex & moult make it a bit of a minefield at times unless you get a classic bird. I wouldn't discount mealy yet. For my money, the paler, larger bird (pic2) is a good runner for mealy.
I posted a few days ago about a potential mealy which visited my feeders - unfortunately it's not been back. It had a bit of both species about it; structure & size mealy; plumage as lesser although it was quite greyish around the nape!
When you really start looking at individual birds closely, you start to realise how much individual variation there is.
That's my two penneth!!
J
Thanx for the info,the GSWs are opposite the TA Centre on anchor road there is a tyre fitting garage opposite the TA Centre, just above it there is a public foot path, 50 yards down the foot path you will see and old run down farm with some large trees in front, you can park your car behind the TA Centre. stu
Steve Turner
Well-known member
Hi Steve
I'd love to meet up at the sewage works (what a great date that is, ha ha!), but unfortunately I'm travelling up to Scarborough this weekend - yes, if you couldget some prints for Nick that would be excellent :t:
Cheers
Steve
Neil-T
Moorlands Macro: Close up and personal....with bug
Thanks for your opinion on the Redpolls Johnnie, it's appreciated. I have been watching/studying them for a while now, and as you say there is a very varied colour/size and marking variation on a lot of them. I am going to concentrate on getting some quality photo's of most individuals that visit my feeders, that way I, and others if they wish, can do a comparritive study of the photo's. Thanks, Neil.
Neil-T
Moorlands Macro: Close up and personal....with bug
Thanks for the info on the GSWs Minkstone. Will try and get over there to do some photography. I am going to try for the Hawfinches at Cannock chase this Sunday, and if I can fit it in I will have a look around Endon sewage works for the Chiff to hopefully get some half descent photo's.
my pc is now back online, so you can look forward to lots of blurry photos :-O
if you want pics of great spotted woodpeckers neil, they nest not too far off one of the paths at coombes valley. i was going to go for photots of the usual woodland species anyway, but the woodpeckers come so close its always an added bonus. think i even managed a couple last year, but they have now gone due to my pc being formated, don't think they were that good anyway.
if you want pics of great spotted woodpeckers neil, they nest not too far off one of the paths at coombes valley. i was going to go for photots of the usual woodland species anyway, but the woodpeckers come so close its always an added bonus. think i even managed a couple last year, but they have now gone due to my pc being formated, don't think they were that good anyway.
